This is how Heleen Meyer describes her bean salad with an interesting twist. She says that a salad dressing is often the defining factor for the flavour profile of a salad – turning a bowl of fresh ingredients into a gastronomic treat.
This salad is always such a surprise for people because the dressing gives it a truly unique and unexpected taste. Enjoy the salad as a side dish or a light vegetarian meal. It makes a big bowl full.
You can use frozen corn kernels if that’s easier, but during summer, fresh corn is easily available. Cook two to three cobs and cut the kernels from the stalk. The kernels can even be used raw in this salad. The natural sweet taste is delicious with the other ingredients and the earthy dressing. It’s a great way to use up a leftover corn on the cob or two which is indeed one of the key ingredients in this salad.
The nachos are a fun element in the salad and can be omitted if preferred, but Heleen says it brings all the typical Mexican flavours of tacos together in the salad. Remember that the nachos are quite salty, so take that into consideration when seasoning the salad. Also, only add them just before serving the salad so that they remain crunchy to add that extra texture. If you don’t want to use the nachos, toast sunflower or pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until aromatic and sprinkle over the salad.
Colourful bean salad with Mexican flavours
Recipe by Heleen Meyer
Serves 4–6
Salad dressing
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) red wine vinegar
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
2,5 ml (½ tsp) ordinary paprika
30 ml (2 tbsp) each chopped fresh coriander and mint
salt and black pepper, to taste
Salad
375 ml (1½ cups) frozen corn kernels, drained or 1 x 410 g tin corn kernels, drained (or cut kernels from 2-3 cooked mealies)
1 x 410 g tin red kidney beans, drained
150 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ cucumber, cubed
2 spring onions, chopped
1 slice of feta (about 70 g), cubed
a large handful each coriander and mint leaves
50 g lightly salted tortilla chips (nachos), roughly broken
1. Dressing: Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.
2. Salad: Place all salad ingredients, except the herbs and nachos in a large mixing bowl. Toss in half of the dressing.
3. Just before serving the salad, mix in the herbs and sprinkle nachos over. Serve with remaining salad dressing.
Tip: When in season, avocado will be delicious in this salad.
Visit Heleen’s website (www.heleenmeyer.co.za) for more recipes like this.
Image by Adel Ferreira, courtesy of LiG magazine